


Sports Drabbles: Swimming

by HapaxLegomenon



Series: Sports Drabbles [3]
Category: Free!
Genre: Challenge: Sport Anime Shipping Olympics | SASO 2016, Challenge: Sports Anime Shipping Olympics | SASO 2015, Drabble Collection, F/M, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-08
Updated: 2016-09-08
Packaged: 2018-08-13 23:21:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 2,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7990027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HapaxLegomenon/pseuds/HapaxLegomenon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of drabbles and ficlets written during the Sports Anime Shipping Olympics (SASO, 2015-2016) for Free!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Makoto & Rei, Monsters in the dark

**Author's Note:**

> This is a collection of short fills written for Free! during the Sports Anime Shipping Olympics (SASO) in 2015 and 2016. Each fill is 400-1000 words, and each "chapter" is named with the relevant ship or characters as well as a brief summary of the ficlet.
> 
> Some of these short fills may, someday, be reworked and expanded upon into proper-length oneshots. They are also largely written for speed rather than quality so may be somewhat lacking compared to more polished fics, but for now, I hope you enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G  
> Tags: Ghost stories

Makoto didn’t know why he’d agreed to Nagisa’s stupid idea of camping -- alone -- in the woods. Just their swim team, just the four of them (because Gou had firmly refused to camp without an outhouse, to Makoto’s current envy) and a tent in the middle of nowhere. There was nobody else anywhere nearby.  
  
Makoto also didn’t know why he’d let Nagisa tell scary stories around the campfire that night. Or why he’d listened. Because now he was in a tent in the middle of nowhere in the middle of a dark, dark night, lying awake and absolutely terrified because _what was that sound_.  
  
“Haru?” he whispered. Beside him, Haru just rolled over without waking, curling up against the edge of the tent. It made a swishing noise and the shadows shifted and Makoto _eek_ ed quietly and pulled his sleeping bag up to his nose.  
  
There was nothing out there. No matter what Nagisa said happened in these very woods to a friend of a friend of his, there was absolutely nothing out there that could get to them. After all, they were in a tent. A very light tent. A tent made out of lightweight fabric and poles that would definitely not stop a man with an axe for a hand or a _tsuchigumo_ or a _kamaitachi_ with its sickle-claws --  
  
“Rei?” he whispered, a little more desperate, pulling his legs up to hug his feet. On his other side, Rei blinked awake.  
  
“Mn, Makoto-senpai? What’s wrong?” he mumbled drowsily.  
  
“Rei,” Makoto hissed. “Is there any scientific evidence for monsters?”  
  
“Monsters?” Makoto nodded quickly. Rei sat up half-way, touching his fingertips to his temples like he was pushing up his glasses, slipping easily into full-on lecture mode.  
  
“Well,” he started, “it really depends on what you mean by ‘monsters’. For example, there are classic creatures like the Leviathan, which was probably a colossal squid. Or the sirens, which lured sailors to their doom, they were probably inspired by dugongs, as their --”  
  
“Rei, what about _kamaitachi_?”  
  
Rei blinked. “ _Kamaitachi_? I don’t think so. Weasels do have very sharp claws, but I doubt the veracity of stories that imply that they have the medical knowledge to remove a person’s feet without anaesthetic and then to close the wounds without anyone knowing. That’s entirely illogical.” He paused for a moment, then shuddered. “And disgusting.”  
  
“But they’re monsters! It doesn’t have to be logical!”  
  
Rei rubbed at his chin, starting to feel uneasy. What if there _were_ monsters? There wasn’t any scientific evidence, true, but if the _kamaitachi_ were as fast and smart as the legends said, they would easily be able to evade any biologists or cryptid hunters who set out to find them. And where could the legends have come from, if there wasn’t any truth to them? He glanced at Makoto nervously, his _senpai_ staring back with even greater trepidation.  
  
There was a sudden rustling noise from outside the tent. It sounded like -- footsteps? Like someone trying to be stealthy and quiet. Sneaky. Rei and Makoto exchanged terrified looks as the shuffling sounds got closer.  
  
The zipper of the tent flap whizzed open and both Rei and Makoto sat bolt upright, screaming.  
  
Nagisa jumped, tripped through the tent opening, and fell heavily onto Rei’s legs.  
  
“Rei-chan!? Why are you screaming? Did something happen while I was peeing?”


	2. Sousuke & Pyunsuke, Speech

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G  
> Tags: Shenanigans

The first time it happened, Sousuke honestly wasn’t as surprised as he should have been.  
  
Of course the damn beetle could talk. Of course. Why wouldn’t it?  
  
Sousuke regretted keeping the thing more and more every day, but when he told Rin as much, he’d just laughed and said, “So give it back to Momo, then,” even though they both knew he wasn’t going to do it.  
  
Granted, the first time it happened, Sousuke’d had a long day and was about ready to collapse in bed, so he wasn’t exactly operating at top mental capacity. But when he went to feed Pyunsuke that evening, the beetle had waved his antennae at the bowl, then _sighed_ and said, in a surprisingly deep voice, “Jelly again?”  
  
His reaction was probably a testament to how tired he was. That, or it was the result of spending too much time around Rin and Momo and those Iwatobi weirdos -- nothing really caught him by surprise anymore. So instead of thinking he was going crazy, or screaming, which might have been the logical reactions, Sousuke just dumbly replied, “What else would there be?”  
  
He used the same high-protein jelly that Momo recommended. It came in a variety of flavours, but after some observation, Pyunsuke seemed to prefer the “fruit” flavour (though what fruit it was supposed to represent, Sousuke had no idea), so that’s what he’d been feeding Pyunsuke for the last odd month.  
  
Pyunsuke flicked his wing casings. “I’d kill for some _real_ fruit,” he said. “An apple? Can’t I have an apple?”  
  
Sousuke muffled a yawn on the back of his hand. “Sure, whatever. I’ll get you one in the morning.”  
  
Pyunsuke settled into his jelly happily enough after that, and Sousuke shrugged it off and went to bed.  
  
In the morning, he was convinced he’d dreamed the whole thing. He considered telling Rin about it, as they jogged together, but he knew Rin would laugh at him. Rin laughed at everything he did, where Pyunsuke was concerned.  
  
(Rin didn’t know that Sousuke had, on more than one occasion, overheard him cooing at the beetle when he thought he was alone)  
  
It wasn’t until Rin was down the hall helping Nitori with his English homework that Sousuke finally had time to take Pyunsuke out for a stroll around his desk top. He reached idly into the terrarium, intending to scoop the beetle up the same way he always did, then jerked in surprise when Pyunsuke bit down on his finger.  
  
“What the hell!”  
  
He shook his hand, and Pyunsuke detached himself to squat indignantly on Sousuke’s desk.  
  
“You said I would get an apple.”  
  
Sousuke just gaped at him for a moment, then scrubbed a hand down his face and groaned. “Oh _god_. That really happened.”  
  
Pyunsuke clicked his mandibles, and Sousuke briefly considered his options.  
  
“Alright,” he said, holding out a finger for Pyunsuke to climb up, then transferring him to his shoulder -- the beetle scrambled up easily. He loved sitting on Sousuke’s shoulders. “Let’s go to the cafeteria.” Pyunsuke waved his forelegs happily.  
  
“Oh goody,” he said, in that absurdly deep voice, and Sousuke silently lamented what his life had become.


	3. Haruka/Squid, Howarts AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G  
> Tags: Brief nudity
> 
> I apologize, I only seem to be able to write crack for this fandom.

Haruka couldn’t stop thinking about her. She was so mysterious and beautiful and all he wanted to do was be with her. Look into her gorgeous big eyes, touch the silky-smooth skin of her cheeks, twine his arms with hers. This must be what love feels like, he thought to himself, watching for a glimpse of her out the window of the Charms classroom.  
  
Makoto elbowed him and Haru scowled faintly, but shifted just a little bit towards the front of the classroom. The professor was looking at him -- and so was everyone else.  
  
“Nanase? Can you answer the question?”  
  
He hadn’t been paying attention. How could he, when this was the last class before their free period and soon he could go be with her? “No.”  
  
Some of his classmates tittered, and the professor glared and told him to pay more attention in class, but he didn’t care. Makoto always took diligent notes and he was always willing to share. It would be fine.  
  
Only a few more minutes until he could go and see her.   
  
He wanted to learn all of her secrets. Where she’d come from. How she’d come to be at Hogwarts, when it was so clearly not her native home. What her favourite food was -- if she liked mackerel as much as he did, maybe he’d go down to the kitchens later and get some for them to share.

If she liked it here.  
  
He hoped she liked it here. Hogwarts was a nice place, but the lake was a poor substitute for the ocean, and Haru felt that loss keenly. At least he had the nice big tubs in the bathrooms, though. He wondered if she missed the ocean as much as he did. He went back to staring out the window, chin pillowed in his hand, and ignored Makoto’s small, resigned sigh beside him.   
  
Finally, the class ended and Makoto packed his parchment and quills back into his bag -- and Haru’s, too, since he didn’t seem inclined to do so himself and Makoto always looked out for him like that. Haru paused to give Makoto the courtesy of following him at a casual pace, and then headed towards the doors leading outside.  
  
He needed to see her. He needed to swim.  
  
“Haru, where are you going?”  
  
“She’s calling me.”  
  
“What? Who? Wait, the squid? Haru, wh – Ha _ru_ , stop taking your clothes off! We’re not even near the lake yet!”


	4. Momo & Rin, Aquarium outing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G  
> Tags: Dialogue only

“Rin- _senpai_! _Senpai senpai senpai_ come look at this giant lobster!”

“Momo. That’s a crab. It literally says so right there on the plaque -- Dungeness crab. It’s from the Americas, see? And it’s not even that big, haven’t you ever heard of --”

“Ohhh wait _senpai_ it’s actually a crab!”

“That’s what I just --”

“I wonder if there are any actual lobsters here!”

“There are some over --”

“Rin- _senpai_! Look! There’s lobsters over there!”

“ _Momo_ …”

“ _Senpaiiii_ come on! Whoa! That’s a huge lobster! And this one is orange!”

“Pff. That one sort of looks like you, Momo. It’s the same colour as your hair.”

“Really? You think so? Thanks Rin- _senpai_!”

“That’s not much of a compliment…”

“Hey _senpai_ , look at this one! It’s so small. Aww, it reminds me of Pyunsuke.”

“Wha -- hey, don’t get all sad! What the hell, Momo!? It’s not like Pyunsuke’s gone or anything. Sousuke has him, remember? In _my_ room.”

“My precious Pyunsuke…”

“Momo?”

“ _Senpai_! Look over there!”

“Gah! Stop yelling! And stop running off! And stop ignoring me, you brat!”

“Rin- _senpai_ Rin- _senpai_ what is that?”

“I don’t see anything.”

“There!”

“Momo, there’s nothing there.”

“ _Senpai_ , _look_.”

“I _am_ looking, I told you, there’s nothing -- holy shit!”

“Haha! You should see your face, _senpai_!”

“What the hell _is_ that thing?”

“I dunno, but it’s huge!”

“Where’s the info thing… oh. It’s a halibut.”

“Ahh, how do you think it swims?”

“I have no idea. Momo, stop banging on the glass.”

“I want to see it swim!”

“ _Momo_. Stop banging on the glass.”

“I wonder if there’s a fish that does the backstroke.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“Hey _senpai_ there’s butterfly fish, do you think they swim butterfly?”

“That’s not funny.”

“Imagine Yamazaki- _senpai_ swimming like a butterfly fish.”

“…Okay, _that’s_ kind of funny.”

“He’d just be like –”

“Oh my god Momo. Stop.”

“Hey Rin- _senpai_ do you think they have any sea otters?”

“I don’t know. Probably not. Everything so far has been a fish.”

“Lobsters and crabs aren’t fish, senpai. They’re arthropods.”

“What the -- how the hell do you know _that_ and not how to tell the difference between a crab and a lobster?!”

“I dunno. But aww, I really wanted to see a sea otter!”

“Well, maybe they have some. I don’t actually know.”

“Rin- _senpai_!”

“Shit, Momo, _what_ , you don’t need to yell.”

“Maybe there’s sharks!”

“I… I hope so.”

“Rin- _senpaaaai_. You look way too excited about that.”

“S-shut up!”

 


	5. Minami/Uozumi, Loss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G  
> Tags: Mild angst

Uozumi deserves to win, and he deserves to swim the relay. He does. And later that day, when they’re in their room after practice (a stroke of luck, really, that they happened to be assigned to a room together), sitting on Uozumi’s bottom bunk together, Minami makes sure to tell him so.  
  
“I know,” Uozumi says, and his lips twist ruefully. “And I want it, I really really do. But. I’m not good enough.” And Minami hears, _I’m never good enough_ under his words.  
  
“You are,” Minami insists, watching warily as Uozumi fights against himself, tries to fight back the self-deprecation and negativity that comes so easily to him, fights hard to replace it with what is true. “One loss doesn’t mean you’re not good enough. You haven’t been feeling well. It’s not your fault, remember?” Minami gives into the temptation and kisses his cheek. “You were sick.”  
  
“I’ve been better for days.”  
  
“You were coughing in your sleep last night, idiot.”  
  
Uozumi sighs and glares at the floor. “That’s no excuse.”  
  
“Yeah, sure,” Minami says, sarcastic. “How could you let something ad trivial as the _flu_ keep you from being in top athletic shape, how ridiculous.”  
  
Uozumi shifts his glare. “You’re not helping.”  
  
“Neither are you. You’re being too hard on yourself, Takuya. You had a bad day. Momo had a good day. That’s it.”  
  
Uozumi pushes at his shoulder and Minami lets himself rock with the motion, falling back against Uozumi and wrapping an arm around him. They sit in silence for a moment, then two, and Minami leans his head on Uozumi’s shoulder.  
  
“What if that’s not it?” Uozumi says finally, with an uneasy quietness to his voice.  
  
“What do you mean?”  
  
“What if it’s not just that I had a bad day and Momo didn’t? What if he’s really better than me?”  
  
“Well, so what?”  
  
Uozumi stiffens in Minami’s hold.  
  
“Seriously, Takuya, who cares? Yeah, maybe Momo’s a better swimmer than you. Who cares? You’re still a great swimmer, and you’re not planning on trying to go pro after high school, anyway, so who cares if some first year beat you? Besides,” he adds, tone shifting to playfulness, and he pecks Uozumi’s cheek before continuing. “You’re way cooler than Momo is, and your boyfriend is _way_ hotter than anyone Momo will ever date, so really, you’re winning at life.”  
  
That does the trick -- Uozumi shoves at him again and grumbles “be nice”, but he’s grinning, now, and when Minami pesters him a little bit more he gives in and lets Minami push him down for a nice long kissing session. Kissing is better than swimming anyway. _Especially_ backstroke, Minami points out, and Uozumi smacks his shoulder again.


	6. Gou/Momo, Rings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G  
> Tags: Future fic (fish)

Momotarou asked her out many times, with varying degrees of creativity and enthusiasm and not-so-varying degrees of success, during the slow progression of their relationship from friends to close friends to date-friends. It took several years of bad boyfriends (on both sides), overbearing brothers (on both sides), and growing into lean muscle (mostly Momo’s side, but Gou wasn’t what anyone would call a weakling) before she finally said yes.  
  
They were in university by then, Momo swimming for Tokyo and Gou in kinesiology classes TA’d by her old team captain, and spending much more time together than they had in high school. And, Gou realized, it was nice. He was nice. He was nice, and attractive, and he’d mellowed out a bit since he was fifteen but he was still cheerful and goofy and fun to be around.  
  
They were walking to one of the science building lounges to study together when Momo gasped in excitement and bolted towards a folding table bedecked in a colourfully handmade sign declaring _ENTOMOLOGY SOCIETY BAKE SALE_. She waited, and in a few seconds he was bouncing back, grinning bright and wide and bearing a cupcake in each hand.  
  
“Here!” he said, shoving one towards her. “Vanilla for you, right?”   
  
He knew her favourite flavour. “Yeah, thanks.” There were stripes of sprinkles in yellow and black across the top of the cupcake, and she snapped a quick picture on her phone before carefully peeling back the wrapper and deciding her angle of approach. Momo, of course, was already polishing his off, slurping around a plastic ring decoration. She watched him with equal parts fondness and disgust as he worked his tongue through the little hole and up the sides with the utmost concentration. Then, when he apparently deemed it sufficiently licked, he wiped it carefully with the side of his t-shirt and held it up in presentation.  
  
“Look. It’s a stag beetle.” So it was. Momo glanced up at her through his eyelashes, and Gou waited, licking at her own icing.  
  
Finally, he held it out to her. “Marry me?”  
  
Gou choked on her cupcake. She coughed, Momo hovering anxiously and patted at her back. Finally, with the help of a sip of water from Momo’s bottle (purchased from the children’s section of a local department store and covered in water beetles), she managed to compose herself enough to choke out, “Shouldn’t you buy me dinner first?”  
  
That startled a laugh out of Momo. “I just bought you dessert!”  
  
Well, she thought. Close enough.  
  
-  
  
(Years later, with three degrees and an Olympic bronze between them, Momo gave her [another beetle ring](http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-thing?.out=jpg&size=l&tid=34561178). And she said yes.)

**Author's Note:**

> Talk fandom to me on Twitter at [@paxlegomenon](https://twitter.com/paxlegomenon).


End file.
